1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units and more particularly pertains to improving the cleaning capabilities of apparatuses/units by the selective coupling of helper attachment devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of cleaners and blowers and other primary cleaning apparatuses/units is known in the prior art. More specifically, cleaners and blowers and other primary cleaning apparatuses/units heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of cleaning and area of debris are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The most pertinent pieces of prior art include U.S. Pat. No. 2,598,499 to G. W. Breuer et al. issued May 27, 1952; U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,604 to Miner et al. issued Aug. 7, 1990; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,159 to Richardson issued Oct. 8, 1991, to Richardson. With regard to the Breuer device, a bar or rod 42 is coupled by a screw 43 to the free end of a blower through an adapter 38. In such embodiment, special components must be constructed for at least partially covering the exit end of the blower, the primary tool. Such an arrangement is not a universally adaptable system including a primary tool with a first axis and a secondary tool with a secondary axis perpendicular to the primary axis.
The Miner device is directed to a portable blower and includes a brush-like attachment 1000 couplable to the free end of the blower. Such attachment, however, extends into the outlet orifice of the blower to interfere with the normal functioning of the primary tool.
The third reference, that to Richardson, has a similar defect in that it requires a specially modified primary tool, a blower, with a trapezoidal-type attachment 13 integrally formed with the original equipment. As such, there is no universality of different attachments adapted to be coupled with regard to a primary tool.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,471 to Rahn discloses a sweeper blower device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,235 to Doxey et al. discloses a pneumatic pavement cleaning apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,275 to Baker et al. discloses a blower vacuum. U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,858 to Bonis discloses an attachment for leaf blowers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,889 to Sartori discloses a broom with position-maintaining multi-angle handle interconnector.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units for attaching to a cleaning apparatus to provide improved cleaning capabilities.
In this respect, the helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of attaching to a cleaning apparatus to provide improved cleaning capabilities.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units which can be used for attaching to a cleaning apparatus to provide improved cleaning capabilities. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of cleaners and blowers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a convenient helper attachment device for cleaning apparatuses/units. The helper attachment device is adapted for use as a universal back up for services that the cleaning apparatus cannot finalize for the purpose of saving time and energy by cleaning with the helper attachment device in combination with the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus has a near end for being held by a user and a far end for supporting the attachment device. In this manner there is no interference with the construction or operation of the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus may be selected from the class of cleaning apparatuses including mops, brooms, hoses, and blowers, or the like. The helper attachment device comprises, in combination, a head portion. The head portion has an upper surface and a lower surface. The head portion also has a coupling mechanism including a clamping assembly comprising a pair of clamping members. The clamping members are dimensioned for coupling with the cleaning apparatus/unit. A tab extends upwardly from an upper end of each clamping member. Each tab is provided with an aperture. A thumbscrew extends through the apertures of the tabs for securement of the pair of clamping members to the helper attachment device. The clamping assembly is couplable to the attachment device. The head portion is adapted for coupling to a cleaning apparatus/unit. The helper attachment device is selected from the class of attachment devices including brushes, scrapers, squeegees, and the like. A coupling mechanism is secured to the helper attachment device and is adapted to be removably received on the cleaning apparatus/unit adjacent to the far end.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units which has all the advantages of the prior art cleaners and blowers and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units for attaching to a cleaning apparatus to provide improved cleaning capabilities.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved helper attachment devices for cleaning apparatuses/units including a convenient helper attachment device for cleaning apparatuses/units adapted for use as a universal back up for services that the cleaning apparatus cannot finalize for the purpose of saving time and energy by cleaning with the helper attachment device, the helper attachment adapted for use in combination with the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus has a near end for being held by a user and a far end for supporting the attachment device. There is no interference with the construction or operation of the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus is selected from the class of cleaning apparatuses including mops, brooms, hoses, blowers, and the like. The helper attachment device comprises, in combination, a head portion. The head portion has an upper surface and a lower surface and coupling mechanism. The coupling mechanism includes a clamping assembly comprising a pair of clamping members. The clamping members are dimensioned for coupling with the cleaning apparatus/unit. A tab extends upwardly from from an upper end of each clamping members. Each tab is provided with an aperture. A thumbscrew extends through the apertures of the tabs for securement of the pair of clamping members to the helper attachment device. The clamping assembly is couplable to the attachment device. The head portion is adapted for coupling to a cleaning apparatus/unit. The helper attachment device may be selected from the class of attachment devices including brushes, scrapers, squeegees, and the like. A coupling mechanism is secured to the helper attachment device and adapted to be removably received on the cleaning apparatus/unit adjacent to the far end.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.